The Beautiful Disaster: A Twilight Fanfiction
by xInlovewithedwardx3
Summary: This is a story where Bella first attends Oxford University. Her roommate is Alice, and through Alice she meets her new friends: Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie.Rosalie isn't too friendly at first, and Edward is a player.Bella detests players.Read and review!
1. Hellos and Goodbyes

Chapter 1: Hellos and Goodbyes

I slowly began unpacking my clothes, while my thoughts lingered on memories of home. It still brought tears to my eyes when I remembered the fateful day when I had to say goodbye to my friends, my family, and everything I had gotten accustomed to over the years. Graduating out of high school had been a traumatizing experience, especially when I happened to trip in front of everyone on my way to the stage to receive my diploma. There's a surprise. My awkward clumsiness hadn't gone unnoticed over the years at Forks High, where the majority of the students barely knew my name even though I'd gone to school with them since the age of 5. After spilling milk or juice on pretty much every popular girl in school, tripping in the school lunch line and halls every day, and always managing to drop my stuff, I was soon known as "the klutz".

However, this year I had decided to reinvent myself. I was going to be calm, cool, and collected, and no one would ever suspect my embarrassing past. My name is Isabella Marie Swan and I was soon going to be a freshman at Oxford University. I had gotten here at about 6 this morning, and I was EXHAUSTED. Just the thought of being a college freshman sent thrills down my spine, of fear, anxiety and excitement. What would college be like? Would my peers like me? Would I finally be able to find that perfect guy? No, I told myself, first I have to concentrate on making it through the first day without breaking someone's nose. The rest will have to wait.

Just then, the door to my dorm opened. I hadn't yet gotten a chance to meet my roommate, but I had found out her name was Alice Cullen, and that she was probably well known around here, because whenever I happened to utter the name, a thousand gasps would fill the room. I just hoped she wasn't some stuck up popular snob like many of the girls in my old school had been. I preferred someone nice, quiet, and most importantly, NEAT. Turns out, it was neither.

"Hi!! What's your name? I'm Alice! Well, you probably know that…What school are you from? Where did you used to live? Do you come from New York? I love New York!" said a high-pitched voice that reminded a lot of bells. She must be Alice Cullen, my new roommate. She was petite, with pale flawless skin and short black spiky hair coming down to her shoulders. Oh, and did I mention she happened to be incredibly beautiful?

"Uh…hi," I said smartly, "My name is Isabella Swan, but you can just call me Bella. And uh... I'm from Forks, Washington."

"Oh, hi Bella!!! Wow, that's far away!! Oh my god, we have so much to learn about each other!! Do you like to shop? I LOVE shopping!! Rose and I go just about every weekend!! We also love getting our hairs and nails done! Oh, what am I saying? You don't even know who Rose is, do you? Rose is short for Rosalie Hale; she's one of my best friends. We've known each other forever!! She has a brother named Jasper, and I have a brother named Emmett. Jasper and I are dating, and so are Rosalie and Emmett. Oh my gosh, I still have to introduce you to all of them! You'll absolutely ADORE them, though I must say Emmett can be quite a pain…anyway, I think I'll give you a tour of the campus first. Do you think you can be ready in about 30 minutes?"

I gasped. I don't think I had ever heard someone say so much in such little time. It took me a minute to grasp what she had just said, and I was only able to give a feeble one-sentence response. "Um, yeah, sure, Ill be ready in 30 minutes."

"Great! See you then!" And with that, she disappeared before I could blink. Then realization hit. WAIT. Alice liked to SHOP?! Oh crap! If there was anything in the world I detested more than stiletto heels, it was shopping. Great, I just met her, and already my roommate and I have absolutely nothing in common. Also, it seemed like I would be the only one in the bunch without a boyfriend or girlfriend to cuddle with. I let out a sigh, and entered the bathroom to change into a sweatshirt and a comfortable pair of jeans.

…

"EW! What is she WEARING?" gasped out a gorgeous blonde who just happened to be the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had piercing blue eyes, long thick blond hair down to her waist, and every feature seemed to be exactly in place. Similarly to Alice, she was DROP DEAD GORGEOUS.

"Rose, be nice!" chastened Alice in her high-pitched voice of bells. "Bella, I want you to meet Rosalie Hale, the girl I was telling you about before. As you can see, she is very sensitive when it comes to the fashion world, but don't worry, once we're done with you, you'll have every boy at school's eyes on you."

I gulped. Once they were done with me? What exactly were they planning to do? I quickly erased my mind of such horrifying thoughts and decided that unlike last time, I was going to introduce myself properly.

"Hi, I'm Bella. You must be Rose. Nice to meet you." In response, Rose's penetrating eyes bore deep into my soul as she merely nodded in response. I blushed, another incredibly annoying trait of mine that I did far too much for my liking. As I averted my gaze from Rose's piercing look, I saw a guy who looked about our age walking up to us. As I got a closer look, I realized that he, like just about every other person I'd met today, was gorgeous. He had sandy brown hair that fell lightly in bangs over his forehead, light blue eyes, and a sweet innocent boyish smile. His smile soon turned into a lopsided grin as he scooped Alice up into his arms and spun her around in circles. This must be Jasper.

"Jazz!! Put me down!!" wailed the giggling Alice. He quickly and carefully placed his delicate girlfriend on the ground and placed a quick peck on her lips. Alice giggled once more, before turning towards me. "Bella, I would like you to meet Jasper Hale, my boyfriend and Rose's brother. Jazz, this is Bella, my new roommate!"

Jasper turned towards me, noticing me for the first time. He smiled once more, and held out his hand. "Hi, nice to see you finally got here. Alice has been whining and complaining about when you were going to get here, and it was driving me NUTS!" he said, receiving a light smack on the arm in response.

I reached out to shake his hand and said, "Um, hey, sorry I was late, my plane was delayed."

"No problem! I'm just glad you're finally here! Have you met Edward and Emmett yet?"

Edward? I don't remember Alice mentioning an Edward…Alice read my confused face, and quickly replied. However, to my utter astonishment, her smile had disappeared and had been replaced with a small frown.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot to mention my ex-brother Edward. He's stupid, you don't want to meet him." Jasper chuckled, and wrapped his arms around his petite girlfriend.

"Are you STILL mad at him about that, love? You know he didn't mean to offend you, it was just a joke."

"SO? It being a JOKE does NOT give him the right to ruin my baby!" At this point, I was totally and utterly lost. Seeing my expression, Jasper chuckled once more.

"I think we better explain to Bella what's going on, she seems like she's lost in another world." I blushed, and Jasper continued, turning towards me. "Her "baby" is her yellow Porsche that Edward decided to slash the tires of as a joke. Alice still hasn't been to get over it, even though he has bought her newer and better tires than before." At this, Alice folded her arms over her chest and sulked.

I laughed, and soon everyone had joined in. I was finally beginning to feel as if I fit in, when yet ANOTHER husky male approached us. Could this be Edward? No, considering the look on Rosalie's face when she saw him, this was probably Emmett. He was a different type of beautiful than Jasper, more hunky than cute. He had sharp features and strong muscular arms. He also had short dark hair and a pale flawless complexion. To my utter shock, he picked up Rosalie, and instead of spinning her, began to dance all around and then threw her about 10 feet in the air!!

"OHMYGOD! EMMETT! PUT ME DOWN!! NOW!!" The moment he heard her use that voice, he put her down instantly. His face showed fear and nervousness, rare for someone who could probably defeat 5 elephants if he wanted to. To his relief, Rosalie smiled and unlike Jasper and Alice's soft peck, pulled Emmett into a deep kiss. After about 5 minutes of patient waiting, Alice pretended to clear her throat and they finally looked up. Was this what happened EVERYDAY?

Seeing my expression, Alice laughed and said "Don't worry Bella, we're not like this everyday. We just haven't seen our boyfriends in a week because of they had all gone on a hunting trip and abandoned us." The boys' smiles immediately disappeared and was soon replaced by the look of a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"We're sorry…we hadn't gone in such a long time… and Carlisle had insisted we go…" Emmett replied meekly in response. Then, realizing who Alice had spoken to, Emmett turned towards me, "Oh so you must be the famous Bella!! Alice has been complaining non stop about-OUCH!" He was instantly cut-off my Alice's stinging slap on his arm.

"Oh, don't worry, we won't bite you," Rosalie assured them. "We're just really glad to see you again!!" The boys smiled and pulled them in for one final hug just as the bell rang.

"Oh my god! It's 9 already?! We got to get going!! I guess we'll see you later Bella and since your classes begin tomorrow, I promise I'll take you on a tour of where everything is right after classes end! Bye!" Alice said, waving her hand at she rushed towards the building with Jasper. I looked for Rosalie and Emmett, but both had disappeared. Letting out a sigh, I began heading back to my dorm, making plans on spending one last day of freedom relaxing on my new bed, reading my all-time favorite novel, Wuthering Heights.

…


	2. Walk At Night

Chapter 2: Walk at Night

I was almost done with reading Wuthering Heights for about the billionth time in my life as I waited patiently for classes to be over. It's not that I don't enjoy reading, it's just all of the nervousness and anxiety was built up inside and I found it hard to concentrate on anything for more than a short period of time. I was restless. I paced up and down the dorm as endless questions raced through my head. What was tomorrow going to be like? Would I be able to make it through unnoticed? Preferably, I'd rather not be noticed than be noticed for something I'd rather not have done, which is what usually happens to me.

I wasn't sure if I would grow to love this school and my new friends as I had back at home, but it was worth a try. Who knows? Maybe I'll love the people here more than I do my old friends…no, that wasn't possible. It took a lot for me to trust someone, and after I had known my friends for so long, I had grown to confide in them with all my oh-so-embarrassing secrets. However, there was still a major part of me that stayed hidden from everyone else, a part that no one could ever take away from me. Now, you're probably wondering why I'm so secretive.

Well, it has a lot to do with my past. Up till the age of 7, my mom had been everything to me: my guide, my idol, my trustee, and most importantly, my best friend. However, a couple months after my birthday, my mom was hospitalized and diagnosed with cancer. Within 4 months, she was dead. It was a huge blow on all of us, but mainly my dad and I. After that, I was never the same. Everything I had ever trusted and believed and hoped in was lost. It took me ages before I was finally myself again, much to the relief of my friends and family. I never had any siblings, so it was always my mom that kept me company. My dad and I were never really close, we would occasionally speak a few words to each other, but he was usually at work until late at night, when he just ate dinner, watched TV, and then went to bed. On the weekends, he was usually busy with errands of his own and those that my mom would force him on. After my mom's death, he seemed keen on spending more time with me so I wouldn't feel lonely. However, I was an obedient child and was able to cook, manage the house and take care of myself. AS I grew older, he began going to work like normal and I was left all alone. I didn't really mind, we lived in a small town, and my friends were usually able to come over and keep me company.

I sighed, and sat down on my bed. It was 4:00, classes should have ended by now. Right on time, two figures burst into the room talking and laughing. To my surprise, I noticed it was a giggling Alice being carried on the shoulders by Jasper.

"Hey Bella!" Alice cried while giggling and punching Jasper's back in an attempt to get him to put her down. Laughing, Jasper carefully placed Alice on the ground.

"Um, hey," I said, still in shock from their loud entrance.

"Ready to go?" At first, I had no idea what she was talking about, but then I remembered that she was supposed to give me a tour of the campus after classes. Are you kidding me? I was so nervous, I had gotten ready four hours ago!

"Yeah, let's go," I replied.

"Kay, let me just quickly change first," Alice said giving Jasper a quick kiss on the cheek before he left. 20 minutes later, Alice came out looking stunning as usual wearing a pair of denim capris, a lacy pink top, and matching earrings.

"Alice… you are giving me a tour of the campus, right?"

"Yup."

"Then why are you all dressed up?"

"Oh, this is normal for me! Now hurry, let's go I want to be able to show you all of the campus before it gets dark out!" That was normal for her? I shuddered as I thought of what might be considered "fancy" in her eyes. She slipped on her pink flip-flops from what seemed like an endless collection of shoes, and headed out the door. I followed her outside and squinted as the bright sunshine hit my face.

People were scattered all over in mini groups, chatting, laughing and enjoying relaxation. Others were sitting at tables or underneath the shade of trees, most probably working on their homework. I wondered if I would meet the infamous Edward Cullen at last; I had heard many rumors about him since I got here. Alice led me to the pathway that surrounded the main buildings, pointing out each one as we passed it.

"Math, science, history, law, guidance, medical..."

I was astounded at the vastness of the campus and I wondered how I was ever going to find my way around here. As if she could read my mind, Alice pulled out a map.

"Here, you'll need one of these for your first day at school tomorrow."

"Thanks, knowing me I'll probably get lost even with one of these maps."

"No problem," Alice said, smiling. "Don't worry, it happens to all of us. The first day I was here, I ended up going to the same building for each one of my classes, it was sooo embarrassing."

I instantly felt reassured. However, my anxiety grew as the curious eyes of the student body swept over us. They probably all heard about "the new girl", and were all dying to see what I was like. I averted my eyes to the ground, trying to avoid their watchful eyes, each one of them seeming to be waiting for me to make some sort of fatal mistake.

"Ignore them," Alice said. "They do this to all the newcomers, they're just curious to see what you're like and whether you're 'worthy' enough to get to know. But don't worry, since you're _my_ roommate, you're social life will be blooming!"

I was staring at her in surprise, how did this girl ALWAYS manage to know how I was feeling?

She laughed at my expression and said "Don't worry, I'm not some kind of weirdo psychic mind reader, it's just that everybody feels the same when they first enter this school." I immeadiately went red with embarrassment and simply nodded. As Alice let me along the seemingly never-ending campus, it was beginning to get dark out and students began to filter out of campus grounds and into their dorms.

"We better hurry up, I want to show you my favorite part of the campus." Alice led me to the right side of campus; we hadn't gone there before. What I saw there shocked me. There were a row of buildings curving in a U-shape, and they didn't look anything like buildings for classes. There was a huge parking lot in the U-shape, but not many cars were parked. I turned to Alice for an explanation.

"Welcome to our campus fun area!!" she said happily. She led me to the center building, and I gasped as I entered. It was designed like a lounge, with every game and electrical mode of entertainment you could think of. There was a huge flat screen surrounded by many couches, and video games, pool tables, and much more ran along the walls. There was also a fireplace and many vending machines. Alice grinned at my expression, and then began dragging me to a different area. The rest of the buildings was designed like a mall, except more organized with restaurants, food shops, and a built in cinema on the left side, and the entire right side filled with an endless number of shops. So this is how the students seem to have such huge closets..

"What do you think?!" shrieked Alice happily.

"I love it!!" I yelled back with joy. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all! Any college with this many opportunities to have fun, couldn't be THAT bad.

"I know!! I do too!! My friends and I come here to hang out whenever we can and now that you're here, you can join in the fun!" Feelings of happiness and acceptance coursed through my veins, leaving me more excited than I had been since I got here. We walked back outside, and I surprised to feel a cold wind whip across my face, and see the twinkling stars shine in the night sky.

"Wow, we're late! I promised our friends we would meet them back at our dorm at 8 and it's 8:30! Ugh, I guess I'll have to call them and cancel our plans." As Alice began talking on her cell phone, I noticed two distinct figures in the shadows. As I got closer, I noticed it was a man and his girlfriend kissing. Embarrassed, I tried to leave before they could spot me, but I was too late.

"Hey there," called a voice of pure velvet. Glad he couldn't see me red face in the darkness, I turned around and gasped. I was staring at yet another perfect face, but somehow he seemed more beautiful than all the rest. His skin was like marble—very pale, ice cold, and smooth. His facial features were perfect and angular—high cheekbones, strong jaw line, a straight nose, and beautiful, full lips. His hair, in casual disarray, was an unusual bronze shade that glistened in the moonlight. His eyes were emerald green, and the crooked smile he was giving me was dazzling. I quickly snapped out of my daze and was about to respond, when I heard Alice come up behind me.

"I see you've met my ex-brother." Ex-brother? So _this _was the famous Edward Cullen! I had heard rumors that he was a player, and by the look of it, they seemed to be true. Well, there absolutely no way I was going give a second thought to a player; they were so untrustworthy. I struggled to forget about his gorgeous appearance, and I knew it would take a lot for me to forget him. Hopefully, he wasn't in any of my classes.

When Edward heard his sister's voice, his smile vanished. "Alice, can't you _please_ forgive me? It was just a joke!"

"Never." I heard a cough, and realized it came from the girl he was with. I blushed again, and looked down at my shoes. "Anyway, We don't want to interrupt your little _conversation_ so I guess we'll be going. Edward, this is my new roommate, Isabella Swan, but she likes to be called Bella. Bella, this is Edward." And with that, she began pulling my hand in the opposite direction, not even giving me a chance to say hi. Not that I minded of course. She began dragging me back onto the pathway and towards the campus, leaving a mystified Edward staring after us.


	3. First Day

Chapter 3: First Day

DING!

I woke up with a start, as my alarm continued to ring. I frantically searched for the snooze button and hit it hard, trying my best not to wake up my sleeping roommate. I looked at the clock: it read 6:30. I had approximately 1.5 hours to get ready before classes started at 8. I had decided to set my alarm extra early so that I had plenty of time to get ready and find my way to class.

I rubbed my eyes sorely, still tired from the previous night. After stomping away angrily from Edward, Alice had cooled down on our way back and let me walk at a normal pace.

"Sorry about that" she apologized. "I don't like it when people touch my baby without my permission." This time I knew she was talking about her precious car.

"It's alright, I don't appreciate practical jokes either," I replied, and began telling her all about the time when a boy from my 9th grade class prank called me. We talked and laughed the rest of the way home, and I began to feel comfortable around her. She was such an easy person to get along with, except for when you got on her bad side. That night, after I had gotten into bed, I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander back to Edward and that maybe I had misjudged him. 'Perhaps that was the girl he was on a date with that night,' I thought to myself. 'Rumors can get out of hand...' And with that comforting thought, I had fallen fast asleep to a dream about Edward. Little did I know that that was the first of many.

Coming back to the present, I stretched and slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the shower, carefully not to be too loud. After showering until I was squeaky clean, I came out in my soft blue robe and began picking out a dress to wear. Everyone here had seemed so fashionable, and I really wanted to fit in. I quickly grabbed one of my prettier tops that my grandma had gotten me for my 17th birthday and slipped it on. It was coral blue baby doll, that was formed a U-shape around the neck, and stopped right below your chest, then flowed freely out. I never wore it often, because I usually preferred wearing sweatshirts and loose t-shirts.

I pulled on a pair of denim jeans and used a brush and ran it through my hair. Luckily, it seemed to like me today and it curled prettily at the bottom. I packed all my books into my shoulder bag and checked the time. It was 7:20. I looked to Alice's bed and decided to wake her up. She stirred a little then her eyes shot open as I told her what time it was. She jumped out of bed and slammed the bathroom door behind her. Chuckling, I pulled out my map to see where I would be heading for my first class. I had math, and according to the map and my memory from last night, it was the first building to the left and not too far away from the dorms. I sighed in relief and plopped down on my bed to do some quick reading.

20 minutes later, the bathroom door burst open and out came Alice wearing a Victoria's Secret coral lace-trim baby doll and a white mini jacket over it. She was wearing skinny jeans and her hair was groomed to perfection. She looked beautiful.

"Thank you soo much for waking me up Bella! I guess I forgot to set my alarm last night," Alice cried, pulling me into a bear hug.

"No problem," I said, smiling. Then, Alice took in my outfit. Worry lines creased my forehead in anticipation of her reaction.

"I love your top! Where'd you get it?" she cried. I let out a sigh of relief and replied, "I don't know where its from. My grandma got me it for my 17th birthday."

"Well, it's gorgeous!" she replied, flashing me a toothy smile. I grinned back, and we gasped as we looked at the time. It was 7:45! Alice quickly slipped pink ballet flats and I put on my sneakers. As much as I wanted to impress the student body, tripping in heels was not the best way to go. We dashed out the door and were out of breath as we reached the buildings. Alice ran into the waiting arms of Jasper, and then dashed to class.

"Bye Bella! See you in History!" We had compared schedules, and saw that we had history and language arts together. I waved back, turned towards the math building and rushed inside. I checked my watch, 7:55! I would never make it in time; my class was on the other side of the building! I ran as fast as I could until I was face to face with the door. I took a deep breath and opened the door, just as the bell rang.

"Saved by the bell, I see," came the throaty voice of my teacher, Mrs. Philips. She looked like she was in her late 50's, with saggy skin, glasses, and her half-white, half-orange hair pulled up in a neat bun.

"Sorry," I mumbled, and frantically searched for a seat. I spotted one on the left side of the classroom in the front, right by the window. Perfect. I was about to sit down, when the teacher addressed me.

"Isabella Swan, is it? You are the new girl, I presume?"

"Yes, but I prefer just Bella."

"Alright then, _Bella_, quickly find a seat and know that I don't accept tardies in this class."

"Okay," I said quietly, as I heard soft laughter come from the back of the room. Without looking up, I slipped into my seat and pretended to be shuffling through the books in my backpack. The rest of class went by smoothly, with the occasional glances by my fellow classmates. As homework, we were assigned 3 pages of exercises in our math textbooks. The bell rang, and I quickly tried to slip out of class before anyone noticed me leaving. However, things didn't go as planned.

"Hey, you're Bella, right?" I turned to face a cute, baby faced boy with his pale blond hair gelled into spikes and blue eyes. He was pretty good looking,' I made a note to myself.

"Um, yeah. You are?"

"I'm Mike Newton, and you looked kind of lonely so I decided to welcome you." He replied, smiling an eerie smile.

"Thanks."

"So, where are you headed?"

Quickly checking my schedule, I replied "I have History next."

"What a coincidence! I have a class in the history building as well, but unfortunately I'm in a different class. Why don't you let me walk you there?"

"Sure, thanks." We walked all the way down to History, making small talk along the way.

"Here we are," Mike said as we reached the door to my classroom.

"Thanks for walking me here," I shot him a warm smile. He smiled back and then waved goodbye as headed towards his class. I entered the class and was relieved to find that Alice had saved a seat for me next to her. I smiled at her and took the seat.

"What were you doing Mike Newton?" Alice whispered.

"He was in my math class, and decided to walk me to class. Why?"

"He's the most sick, perverted thing you will ever find. Trust me, I know. Stay far away from him." I got the idea that there was more to this than Alice was letting on, but just then the teacher came in and the class fell silent. The rest of the morning went by similarly, and then it was time for lunch. Remembering Alice telling me that they all met underneath the biggest tree there, I searched around until my eyes spotted it. I walked over there and plopped down next to Alice. Next to Alice was Jasper, to his left Emmett, and to his left and my right, Rosalie. The rest of the circle other said hi to me other than Rosalie, who looked annoyed. Alice shot her a glare, and she mumbled a hi. As we ate, the main topic of discussion was school gossip. I just stayed quiet and listened, not knowing any of the people they were talking about.

"Hey guys how about we have a movie night at the boys' dorm on Friday? The movies you guys have are better than the crap they show at the theatre here anyway," Alice suggested. There were murmurs of agreement and the plan was set. Today was Wednesday, so it was two days from now.

"Alright guys, I guess it's decided then. We'll meet at the boys' dorm at 8 for a movie but we'll go to dinner first at Olive Garden." Alice looked at her watch. "Kay, we should get going. We have 10 minutes to get to class." We all began throwing out our food and packing up our stuff. I had packed myself two sandwiches for lunch this morning; I hadn't felt like cooking. I checked my schedule and saw that I had biology next. Waving goodbye to my friends, I headed towards the science department. I was quick to reach my class, but ended up being 3 minutes late anyway. The teacher, recognizing me as the new student, addressed me.

"Isabella Swan is it? You must be the new girl. Well, as a warning, I advise never to be late to my class again." The teacher was male and middle-aged, and looked like someone who people wouldn't want to cross.

"Okay, sorry." I blushed and looked around for a seat.

"Why don't you take the seat next to Edward over there on the left," the teacher suggested, his tone much softer. I nodded but within I was having a heart attack as I approached the seat. I was careful to avoid Edward's gaze, sure that he recognized me from the previous night. Unfortunately, due to my clumsiness, I tripped on the stool and fell when a pair of strong arms caught me. I looked up at him and blushed. He laughed and a look of recognition passed his face.

"Hey, your Bella from last night, right?" he whispered.

"Yeah," I replied.

"What do you say we catch a movie tonight and get to know each other a bit better?" He said with a wink. I was left speechless for a moment by his dazzling crooked smile but quickly snapped myself out of my embarrassing daze. So he _was_ a player! What kind of a guy asks someone out on a date two minutes after they met them? Well, I certainly wasn't falling into his little trap!

"No, thank you," I replied, turning to face the teacher. "I don't date players like you." At first, he looked shocked by my response, but then his shock turned to anger. Apparently, he wasn't used to rejection. Well, he better get used to it because it he ever tried to make a move on me again, he would face the consequences. He remained in a sullen silence the rest of the period, and after class ended, we both rushed out of the door.

The rest of my classes that day went my smoothly, and I made was able to make friends: a girl named Angela in Art class, and another named Jessica in Social Sciences. Angela was sweet, but Jessica talked a bit too much.

This is how it went with Angela: The teacher had assigned us to paint while looking at a still life and I was out of red paint for my apple. I turned around and politely asked the girl next to me if I could borrow some of hers.

"Sure," she replied meekly. Strangely, her shyness gave me a boost of confidence.

"Thanks. Your painting is beautiful," I replied. With that, we talked all throughout art class and I found out that Angela was actually quite loud and opinionated once you got to know her. She was a very sweet girl and I liked her instantly.

With Jessica, what happened was a totally different story. We were taking notes in Social Sciences class and just as the teacher told us to pick partners for a project that was coming up, Jessica got up from her seat and introduced herself. We became partners and she somehow managed to talk the entire period without ever needing my reply. This could be very useful when I didn't feel like talking.

Throughout the day, my mind kept wandering back to Edward. Oh, how I hated people like him. They used their appearances and charm to take advantage of innocent girls. Well, there was definitely one girl he would never get his hands on! Or so I thought.


	4. Painting the Town Red

Chapter 4: Painting The Town Red

The next few days past by uneventfully, well…except for one thing. Edward didn't show up to any of his classes, only occasionally appearing at the lunch break. Even then, he would disappear as soon as he caught sight of me. As much as I didn't want to, my mind frequently drifted to thoughts about him. Where could he be? And why had he left so suddenly? And finally, the most important question: was it because of what I had said? Ever since that incident, I had felt a bit bad about what I had done, and the guilt had only increased as the days passed by.

As if the time I spent daydreaming about him wasn't enough, he had begun appearing in my dreams consistently as well. The dream was usually something along the lines of Edward standing in the distance, with me slowly approaching him. However, as soon as I got close enough to make some type of conversation, he would disappear. It had been haunting my dreams ever since the incident, and I'm pretty sure it won't go away until I had a chance to apologize.

Sighing, I realized I had reached my dorm. Pushing the door open, I was instantly comforted by the familiar smell of me and Alice's room. I plopped down on the bed and decided to relax for a bit before starting on homework.

"BELLA! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? WE HAVE TO MEET THE GUYS OUTSIDE THE DORMS AT 6:30 AND WE HAVE TO PICK UP ROSALIE FIRST, WHICH MEANS WE ONLY HAVE 3 HOURS TO PREPARE!! YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO _RELAX!_" Alice hollered at me, throwing the door open. Apparently, Alice had different ideas.

"Alice, what do you mean we ONLY have 3 HOURS?" I asked, worried about what exactly she meant by "prepare". Then, it clicked. It was Friday! That meant we had the dinner at Olive Garden, and then the movie night at the boys' dorm.

"I MEAN, that we don't have enough time to get both you and I ready for the movie night!! You have to look great, especially since..." She trailed off suspiciously.

"What is it Alice?" I asked, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing," she replied quickly. "Come on, let's go! There's so much to be done, there's outfits, and shoes, and accessories and we'll have to do something about those nails of yours…"

She had tried to distract me, and it worked. I was staring at her in horror of what was to come.

"Oh stop it! It's not _that_ bad," She said, rolling her eyes. "Now hurry up and get out of those clothes you're wearing, we need to dazzle those boys!"

I giggled, and after stripping down to my underwear, I followed her into the bathroom. The next 2 hours were spent pulling and pinching, as I tried to distract myself with a book. When makeup and styling was done, I put on a pair black tight dress pants along with a sparkling blue v-neck top. Alice had realized I really didn't have much of a wardrobe outside my best pieces that I had worn the previous week. Thankfully, she hadn't said much about it. Instead, she led me over to her own wardrobe and spent quite a bit of time picking something out. After a few more minutes of adjusting, Alice stepped back to observe her creation.

"There," she said, smiling brilliantly. "You are officially ready."

I turned around to face the mirror and gasped. My hair was in loose pretty curls bordering my heart shaped face, which now held a picture of beauty that I did not recognize as my own. Layers of eyeliner and mascara brought out my chocolate brown eyes, which held a spark of excitement as they gazed at their reflection. A faint blush coated my cheeks, and a shiny gloss glazed my lips, adding a natural touch that enhanced my features. The top dipped low but not too low, and the blue contrasted remarkably against my pale skin.

I blinked to make sure what I was seeing was real, and when I saw that it was, I couldn't do anything but sit there staring at myself in wonder.

"So…do you like it?" Alice asked nervously. I could tell she really wanted my approval, though why anyone wouldn't like her work was beyond me.

"No, Alice," I said, watching her face fall. "I LOVE IT!" She squealed and ran over to give me a bone-crushing hug before disappearing. Ten minutes later, she reappeared looking fabulous in a similar outfit to my own, except in pink. It was really quite pathetic that she could pull off in 10 minutes what took me nearly 2 1/2 hours of prep.

"Wow Alice, you look amazing," I said.

"Thanks!" She cried excitedly. "Now let's go before the boys start yelling at us, it's almost 6:30!"

As we were heading out the door, I noticed the shoes she had left for me while I was changing. There were teal satin high heel sandals, with criss- cross straps and a lift that made wobbly from the sight of it.

"Are you serious?" I asked Alice. "You know how clumsy I can be."

"Oh please Bella! It matches so perfectly with your outfit!"

"Oh, alright," I sighed, giving in. You never wanted to disappoint Alice, and if you did, she made you feel really bad about it afterwards. Even thought it had only been a couple of days since I had met her, it felt like we had known each other our whole lives.

. . . . .

By the time we reached the entrance to Olive Garden, the boys were already there. We had picked up Rosalie on our way, and as usual, she looked stunning in her black leather pants, red high heels, and off the shoulder sparkly red top. Her naturally wavy blond hair was pinned back at the top, leaving the rest of her hair to rest on her shoulders. It was a hit to my ego every time she entered the room, and tonight it was no different.

"Hey, you finally made it!" Emmett boomed. He and Jasper were dressed in similar semi-formal apparel to ours, in black dress pants, white shirts, and a jacket over that. They both looked incredibly handsome.

"Yeah, they _were running a bit late,_" Rosalie mocked sarcastically.

"Rose, for the last time, we're sorry we left you waiting outside in the cold for 10 WHOLE MINUTES, but you need to get over yourself!" Alice cried defiantly.

"Fine," Rose muttered. What was up with her? She hadn't seemed so moody before…maybe she was PMSing. Then, the boys' attention turned to me.

"Hey, Bella you look great!" Jasper said, causing a blush to color my cheeks.

"Yeah," I replied, "Alice got to me." They all laughed and we decided to head in. Jasper took Alice's hand, and Emmett took Rose's as I awkwardly followed them into the restaurant. We found a table for six and sat down.

At first, I felt uneasy but as time went by the conversation grew easier and before I knew it, the time had gone by. As the waiter came by to take our check, I thought I saw a familiar shadow through the restaurant windows but when I blinked, it was gone. Thinking it to be my imagination, I turned my attention back to the table.

The boys' had taken care of the check, and we all began to collect our belongings. Grabbing our jackets and purses, we headed out the door and I felt a strong, cold wind wash against my face. The moon and stars were out, and I could hear a werewolf howling in the distance. It was a beautiful night.

Chatting and laughing, we headed toward the two cars. Rosalie and Emmett would take Emmett's jeep and Jasper, Alice and I would leave in Alice's Porsche. As I approached the car, I saw the same shadow I had seen before. As the familiar figure moved into the streetlight, I was just about to figure out who the mystery was when Alice called my name.

"YO BELLA! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" she shrieked. When I looked back, to my utter disappointment, he was gone.

"I'm coming," I muttered, making my way over to the side of the car. 10 minutes later, we reached the boys' dorm room. As we entered, I was surprised to find the dorms similar to our own. They had similar structure, except there were three beds instead of one, and the walls were painted a light blue instead of pink. Wait, THREE?

"Hey Jasper, who's the third bed for?" I asked, curious.

He turned around, surprised. "Didn't you know? Edward shares a dorm with me and Emmett." Great. Just what I needed.

"But wouldn't he rather share one with his own friends?" I asked, not wanting to sound rude.

"Yeah, but due to the lack of dorms, he got stuck with us," he replied, grinning. I plastered a smile on my face, but inside my thoughts were jumbled and crazy. What if he came in here? What should I do, what should I say? Should I apologize in front of everyone? No, I can't do that. But then it would so awkward! My mind was tortured with these endless questions when all of a sudden I realized something.

"Hey Alice, we need clothes to change into!" I cried, groaning. I did NOT want to go all the way back to our dorms.

"Bella, I'm a bit insulted that you think so low of me! I packed both of our bags of course, with everything we'll need," she replied, smiling. With that, she held out two black duffel bags, one for the each of us. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Great Alice thanks." I replied. She smiled and headed to the bathroom to change. I turned to look for the other one, but I realized it was occupied by Rosalie. Great, they would probably take forever in there.

Noticing my awkward position, Emmett said "Why don't you use the hallway bathroom? It's down the hallway, second door on your right." Smiling gratefully, I nodded and followed his instructions to the bathroom. I'd rather have used the private bathrooms rather than the public ones, but hey, what choice did I have?

I quickly changed into the nightdress Alice had packed me, a blue silk top and bottom set with white stripes. Checking my appearance in the mirror to make sure I didn't look too bad, I headed out the door.

Absorbed in my own thoughts about the whole Edward situation, I barely noticed where I was going. I looked up to see the door to the boys' dorm merely a few feet away. However, that was not what made my eyes widen and my mouth drop open in shock and bewilderment.

Tall and perfectly poised with his hands crossed against his chest only a few feet away, leaning against the frame of the door in utter repose, was the one and only Edward Cullen.


End file.
